Charles Nelson Reilly Movies
Having caught the theatrical bug early in life, Charles Nelson Reilly studied for his craft at the Herbert Berghof-Uta Hagen studio. While scrounging for acting jobs in the 1950s, Reilly supported himself as an usher, mail clerk and hospital orderly. In 1960 he was cast in a minor role in the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie, understudying stars Dick Van Dyke and Paul Lynde. The following year, he played nasty "corporate nephew" Bud Frump in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, a characterization that won him a Tony Award. In 1964, he received the New York Critic's Circle award for his work as juvenile lead Cornelius Hackel in Hello, Dolly. During this period, Reilly showed up in such Manhattan-based TV programs as The Steve Lawrence Show, and also performed a cabaret act with his friend Eileen Brennan. In 1968, he was cast as Cleymore Gregg in the network sitcom The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a role that typed him ever after in fussy, snippy, sarcastic roles. He went on to appear in the comedy ensemble of the 1970s variety series Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers; he starred in the Saturday morning kiddie shows Lidsville (1971-74) and Uncle Croc's Block (1975-76); and, along with Richard Dawson and Brett Sommers, he served as a semi-permanent panelist on the long-running quiz show The Match Game and as a staple on the game show The Hollywood Squares, where his flamboyant personality (he typically appeared wearing oversized glasses and a colorful ascot) became an audience favorite. Game shows, however, reportedly downgraded Reilly in the eyes of producers, and made it next to impossible for him to find a healthy amount of work. During the '80s and '90s, Reilly became active in the field of cartoon voiceovers, performing in such animated feature films as All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989), Rock-a-Doodle (1992) and The Troll in Central Park (1993), and in TV cartoons like Smurfs and Spacecats; he also appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson a record 95 times. On the theatrical scene, Reilly directed the one-person plays Belle of Amherst and Paul Robeson, and staged several operas throughout the U.S. Charles Nelson Reilly was the founder of The Faculty, a Los Angeles-based drama school.In the mid-2000s, Reilly headlined a one-man performance film, The Life of Reilly (2000). As co-directed by Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson, the picture found the actor-comic sitting before an audience and expostulating at length on his long career in showbusiness, his open homosexuality, and - occasionally - how the two intersected in the early years by making it difficult for him to find work. The picture opened to critical raves but received extremely limited distribution in the U.S. Tragically, it marked Reilly's last major effort, and not one year later, the actor died from complications of pneumonia. He was 76. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This animated feature from Don Bluth is aimed toward very young children. It follows the exploits of Stanley, the nicest troll in Troll Land. Unfortunately, the other trolls do not like too much niceness, and Stanley is banished from his homeland by the nasty Gnorga. He is sent to live in New York City with the hope that the banishment will cure him of his sweetness. Stanley lands in Central, where he puts his special talent for growing pretty flowers to good use. There he meets two sad youngsters whose parents are too busy working to pay attention to them. Stanley becomes their friend. He teaches them to believe in themselves. Stanley is happy. But then, Gnorga suddenly appears and tries to destroy it all. Will she succeed? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dom DeLuise, Cloris Leachman, (more)
One of the most expensive of Don Bluth's animated cartoon features, All Dogs Go to Heaven was also among the most successful. Set in late-'30s New Orleans, the story centers upon a roguish German shepherd named Charlie B. Barkin (voice of Burt Reynolds), who is killed early in the proceedings by his business partner, Carface (voice of Vic Tayback). Charlie travels to Heaven, and is promptly warned that if he heads back to Earth, he can never return; he does decide to go back to Earth, however, to exact revenge on Carface, who has kidnapped Anne-Marie, a little orphan girl who can talk to Animals.
The film also includes the vocal skills of Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vic Tayback, Melba Moore, Loni Anderson, and a host of others. All Dogs Go to Heaven was the first production of the Dublin-based Sullivan Bluth Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The film also includes the vocal skills of Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vic Tayback, Melba Moore, Loni Anderson, and a host of others. All Dogs Go to Heaven was the first production of the Dublin-based Sullivan Bluth Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Judith Barsi, (more)
The characters from the animated family favorite All Dogs Go to Heaven return for this yuletide story. The pooches at the Flea Bite Cafe are trying to make this Christmas a special one for Timmy, a puppy in need of an operation. But when the mean-spirited Carface decides to spoil Christmas for Timmy -- and the other dogs too -- Charlie and Itchy step in to save the spirit of the season. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Weber, Dom DeLuise, (more)
This highly acclaimed animated version of the classic children's holiday tale features the voices of several stars, notably Christopher Plummer, James Belushi and Bronson Pinchot. The story is set in mythical Toyland two days before Christmas and centers on the attempts of young Jack and Jill to stop the wicked Barnaby (Plummer) from shutting down the Toyland factory and spoiling the holiday for children everywhere. The heroic children receive help from Toyland residents, Tom Piper, Mary Lamb and Humpty Dumpty. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Nelson Reilly, Lacey Chabert, (more)
- 1987
- PG
Harry Similac (Dirk Benedict) is a music promoter who must scramble to stay out of debt in this slapstick comedy. He hits upon the idea of becoming a wrestling promoter and steals Rick Roberts (Roddy Piper) from his former manager Captain Lou Milano (Lou Albano). He books his rock band Kick at the match and creates a new phenomena that combines wrestling with rock n' roll. Charles Nelson Reilly, Billy Barty, and John Astin provide memorable comedy relief. Cameo appearances by wrestlers Ric Flair, Afa & Sika, Sheik Adnan Al Kaissy, Freddie Blassie, and Bruno Sammartino add further realism to this feature that recalls the rock-and-wrestling spectaculars of the early 1980s. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Benedict, Tanya Roberts, (more)
In this family-oriented action adventure, two bickering brothers settle their differences long enough to stop the crooked business rivals who are trying to destroy their father's career. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Randy Travis, Julie Hagerty, (more)
Directed by Rick McKay, who traveled across five continents during the documentary's production, Broadway: The Golden Age is both a celebration of current Broadway stars and a tribute to Broadway legends past. Through a plethora of interviews and vast amounts of archival footage, McKay presents a variety of factoids, anecdotes, and memories from over 100 Broadway actors, writers, and directors. The careers of Laurette Taylor, Kim Hunter, Jessica Tandy, and Marlon Brando are all animatedly retold, as is some of the Broadway "lore of olde," such as Angela Lansbury's struggle to land a role in Mame and the shocked reaction to West Side Story on its opening night. In addition to footage and discussion regarding highly successful Broadway stars, a variety of actors recount their experiences and struggles in finding even a small amount of critical recognition. The cast includes Shirley MacLaine, Bea Arthur, Edie Adams, Alec Baldwin, and Kaye Ballard, and many others. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edie Adams, Bea Arthur, (more)
- 1972
"Mom" is Connie Stevens, who stars in this made-for-TV comedy. Stevens plays a small-town waitress who is appointed the housemother for a rambunctious fraternity house on the local college campus. The frat boys assume that freewheeling Stevens will allow them to party to their hearts' content, but "Mom" takes her job quite seriously and compels the students to behave themselves. She also becomes involved in a campus feminist movement that threatens to topple the college's male power structure (headed by dean Van Johnson). Call Her Mom was the pilot for a Connie Stevens TV series that found neither a sponsor nor a network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
(Burt Reynolds) as J.J. McClure takes off across the country again in this rickety sequel to Cannonball Run. A sheik has offered $1,000,000 to the first driver to reach a destination in Connecticut from Redondo Beach, California, inspiring J.J. and others to go for the gold. With cameos from more name performers than any dozen films together, (Frank Sinatra and the rat pack, Telly Savalas, Susan Anton, Shirley MacLaine, Jackie Chan, Sid Caesar, Marilu Henner, Catherine Bach, etc., etc., etc.), the movie becomes a pastiche and is executed as though no rehearsals were required, or ever happened. A disparate group of people racing to get a lot of money was first successfully exploited in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, a much better film, and with just as many cameos, in fact. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, (more)
This animated musical, based on E.B. White's children's book classic, is about a courageous spider who helps save the life of an ill-fated pig. Wilbur is a young pig (voice of Henry Gibson) who's owned by New England farmer Homer Zuckerman (voice of Robert Holt). One day he is sold to a neighbor, where he meets a sheep who warns him that his fate lies in the confines of the slaughterhouse. Wilbur is terrified of this news until he meets Charlotte, a charming spider (voice of Debbie Reynolds), who is determined to save Wilbur from this dire destiny. By weaving words into her web, she convinces the farmer that Wilbur is some sort of prodigious animal too important to kill. The music for Charlotte's Web was written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who wrote the scores for countless Disney movies, including Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Reynolds, Paul Lynde, (more)
- 1971
Lidsville, the third of Sid and Marty Krofft's Saturday-morning childrens' series, was arguably the wierdest and wildest, bursting to the seams with psychedelic zaniness -- and, it might be whispered, even more covert references to "controlled substances" than were found in the immortal H.R. Pufnstuf. Butch Patrick of "Eddie Munster" fame starred as the series' "human" hero Mark, who while attending a magic show at Six Flags Over Texas became consumed with curiosity over the conjuring act presented by Merlino the Magnificent. Sneaking backstage, Mark stared in amazement as Merlino's magic hat grew to a humongous size. Even more amazing was what happened after Mark fell into the hat, tumbling out of the "real" world and into the land of Lidsville, a garishly colored metropolis populated almost entirely by talking hats (played, of course, by small-sized actors wearing full-body Krofft costumes). Immediately befriending the "Good Hats" of Lidsville -- among them Colonel Poom, Admiral Scuttlebutt, Big Chief Sitting Duck, Rah-Rah the Football Helmet, Scorchy the Fireman's Hat, and Twirly the Beanie -- Mark vowed to protect them from the sinister machinations of green-skinned, red-goateed evil magician Horatio W. Hoo Doo (Charles Nelson Reilly) and his menagerie of "Bad Hats" and anthropomorphic magic props (among them the appropriately named Raunchy Rabbit). For his part, Hoo Doo devoted his every waking hour to capturing Mark so that he could retrieve his magic ring, and thus gain control of the marvelous Weenie the Genie (played in drag by Billie Hayes, the unforgettable "Witchiepoo" from H.R. Pufnstuf).
Throughout the series' 17 half-hour episodes, Mark enlisted the aid of his new hat friends in his efforts to escape Lidsville and return to his own world, forever keeping one step ahead of the indefatigable Hoo Doo, who could generally be found astride his flying "Hatamarand." Utilizing state-of-the-art special effects (for 1971 at least!) and boasting, broad, con brio performances from everyone in the cast, Lidsville was nothing if not exhilarating and eye-catching. The series originally aired on ABC from September 11, 1971, through September 1, 1973, then was rebroadcast by NBC from September 8, 1973 through August 31, 1974. ~ All Movie Guide
Throughout the series' 17 half-hour episodes, Mark enlisted the aid of his new hat friends in his efforts to escape Lidsville and return to his own world, forever keeping one step ahead of the indefatigable Hoo Doo, who could generally be found astride his flying "Hatamarand." Utilizing state-of-the-art special effects (for 1971 at least!) and boasting, broad, con brio performances from everyone in the cast, Lidsville was nothing if not exhilarating and eye-catching. The series originally aired on ABC from September 11, 1971, through September 1, 1973, then was rebroadcast by NBC from September 8, 1973 through August 31, 1974. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Nelson Reilly, Butch Patrick, (more)
- 1992
- G
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When Chanticleer the Rooster (Glenn Campbell) is tricked into leaving town to seek fame as an Elvis-style Las Vegas singer, his farm is plunged into eternal darkness. This animated musical from Don Bluth centers on a young farm boy who embarks on a magical journey into the animal world to try and bring Chanticleer home. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glen Campbell, Ellen Greene, (more)
- 1999
To save the eyesight of his pet dog Speedy, Drew(Drew Carey) agrees to put him in an experimental treatment program at DrugCo, where Lewis (Ryan Stiles) has been promoted to head janitor. When Lewis' boss Mr. Hathaway (Charles Nelson Reilly) refuses to let anyone know what has happened to the missing Speedy, Drew and the gang embark upon a treacherous journey into the Heart of DrugCo Darkness, witnessing many strange sights along the way--including a giant talking cockroach, an "epiphany" globe, and a mutant "monkopotamus." Somehow or other this odyssey helps to resolve a leftover problem from the cancelled Kate-Oswald marriage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
It's the "Rush Limbaugh" episode, with the peppery right-wing radio host appearing as himself. In an effort to prove that she has enough "class" to be promoted to the position of Winfred-Louder's wardrobe buyer, Kate (Christa Miller) arranges a meeting with store owner Mrs. Louder (Nan Martin) at an elite salon--which Drew (Drew Carey) has set up in his own house. Alas, all hopes for promotion seem to be dashed when ultra-liberal Kate argues with ultra-conservative Mrs. Louder over the topic of free speech. It is up to "El Rushbo" (Limbaugh, that is), to show up as deux-ex-machina to resolve the argument--and will you be surprised by the way he does it! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Its titled derived from a circus term describing an inexperienced performer in his first season, director Paul Sirmons film is adapted from author Gail Radley's popular novel of the same name. The story centers on the friendship between an eleven year old foster child named Cory (Dan Byrd) and an elderly nursing home patient named Carlotta (Julie Harris). Cory has been bounced from foster home to foster home, and he's never felt like he's had a real family. Carlotta feels like she's been forgotten by the world, and rails against the strict rules of that the nurses try and enforce on her. Together, Cory and Carlotta run away to join a traveling circus. Now, under the guidance of the energetic circus owner (Mickey Rooney), this old has-been and young spring chicken prepare to dazzle the crowds and start a new life. Charles Nelson Reilly co-stars as a kindly clown who helps mentor Cory, and Joe DiMaggio appears as a mysterious stranger who encourages the young boy to chase his dreams. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Harris, Dan Byrd, (more)
- 2006
Though notorious as a flamboyant TV game show staple, stage and screen icon Charles Nelson Reilly qualified early in the game as one of the most accomplished performers in all of show business. In addition to early dramatic training under the aegis of Uta Hagen (alongside Hal Holbrook and Jason Robards), Reilly received a Tony nomination for his 1997 direction of Julie Harris in a critically-acclaimed revival of The Gin Game and - as a dramatic coach - honed the acting chops of many a well-respected contemporary. Reilly also launched a critically praised one-man stage show, The Life of Reilly, that involved the actor-director relaying colorful monologues about his long life in show business before a live audience. That production forms the basis of the film of the same name by Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson. The motion picture, shot as a "theater piece" without being opened up for the screen, (and thus, a film relatively free of visual gimmicks) finds Reilly expostulating, wittily, on such topics as: his homosexuality (and the early discrimination it wrought when he wanted to make it as an actor); his dysfunctional family and troubled childhood; his brush with death in a 1944 circus fire; his stint on the small screen; and his experiences on the Great White Way. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Nelson Reilly
- 1987
The made-for-TV Three Kings stars Jack Warden, Lou Diamond Phillips and Stan Shaw as three patients in a Los Angeles-area mental institution. Dressed as the Three Wise Men for a Christmas pageant, the trio is suddenly struck with the delusion that they are really their Biblical counterparts. As TV cameras grind away, the three ersatz Kings ride out of the Pageant--on camels--and into the mean streets of LA. As the story draws to its conclusion, the three escapees find themselves providing Christmas cheer for a group of homeless people on the outskirts of the city. Aaron Spelling's original story veers dangerously close to being devoured by its own cuteness at times, but Stirling Silliphant's script for Three Kings keeps the whimsy in check and the sillier events reasonably credible. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Expanded from a two-character play by Murray Schisgal, this comedy stars Eli Wallach as Ben Harris, a disgruntled New York City mail carrier. Harris is fed up with being cheated by his landlords, the Kellys (Roland Wood and Ruth White), so he terrorizes them and the city's housing authority until they agree to give him a new apartment. Not satisfied, Harris "goes postal" by kidnapping a bored suburban housewife, Gloria Fiske (Anne Jackson) and taking her back to his apartment. To his surprise, he finds that Gloria also hates the world, and they become fast friends. He eventually lets her go but follows her home. When he tries to climb into her window, her husband Jerry (Bob Dishe) chases him away. Harris returns to his apartment building, where the Kellys invite him in to watch TV, and somehow this soothes his wrath. Dustin Hoffman has a small role as a hippie named Hap. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, (more)
- 1987
Completed in 1985, Rankin/Bass' feature-length cartoon version of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows had its network debut delayed several times; the film finally premiered on July 5, 1987. This adaption of the 1908 Grahame story was more faithful to the source that the enjoyable but overly slick 1949 Disney version Ichabod and Mr. Toad (ironically, the Rankin/Bass version was shown in the timeslot normally occupied by ABC's Disney Sunday Movie). This lighthearted tale of the foolish Mr. Toad and the attempts by his anthropomorphic-animal friends to keep Toad from making a fool of himself was wonderfully brought to life by the whimsically epicene voicework of Charles Nelson Reilly (as Toad), Roddy McDowall, Jose Ferrer and Eddie Bracken. The film's character design and background art brilliantly evoke the spirit of Kenneth Grahame's original illustrations. Since its initial telecast, Wind in the Willows has become a fixture of virtually every video rental store in the nation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul H. Frees, Charles Nelson Reilly, (more)
Between 1939 and 1959, Toots Shor ran what was debatably the most famous saloon in America. The son of a poor family in South Philadelphia, Shor was a blustery, larger-than-life character who came to New York City in 1930 and soon landed a job as a bouncer in a mob-run speakeasy. Shor had smarts, charm, and nerve, and he soon made plenty of contacts in the liquor trade as well as befriending habitués of Manhattan nightlife. In 1939, Shor opened a bar and restaurant, simply named "Toots Shor's," and it didn't take it long for it to become the Big Apple's most celebrated watering hole, where Broadway stars, sports legends, political bigwigs, and social climbers were frequent customers but anyone with the price of a drink was welcome to belly up to the bar (among the regulars: Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Gleason, Frank Gifford, Earl Warren, and Frank Costello). While "Toots Shor's" was one of New York's most legendary nightspots, Shor sold the business in 1959, and while he opened a new bar two years later (after running through the million dollars he made from the deal), his style of saloon was falling out of fashion with the arrival of the 1960s, and the free-spending Toots died broke in 1977, six years after his last bar went under. Shor's granddaughter, documentary filmmaker Kristi Jacobson, pays tribute to the man and the era personified by his saloon in Toots, which features interviews with family and friends (including Lauren Bacall, Walter Cronkite, Yogi Berra, Pete Hamill, Mike Wallace, and Whitey Ford) as well as rare recordings of Toots telling his own remarkable story. Also known as Toots Shor: Bigger Than Life, Toots received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival -- appropriately enough, in downtown New York. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Gifford, Walter Cronkite, (more)
- 1962
Two love-struck American teens embark upon a transatlantic cruise so that they might married and end up having a variety of tuneful misadventures in this romantic musical comedy that features "Twist" sensations Joey Dee and the Starlighters. The lover's travails begin when each is tempted by the fruit of others. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joey Dee, Gary Crosby, (more)
